Food X Fire Book Review – Perfectly Prepared, Sizzling Over the Fire Cooking Techniques (Recipes)

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Category: Books

Published on Tuesday, 10 October 2023 12:49

Written by Janet Walker

Food X Fire, Grilling and BBQ with Derek Wolf, from Harvard Common Press, presents a compilation of grilling recipes and techniques for preparing specialty dishes on direct flame, coal charred, indirect smoking, or the backyard grill.

John Derek Wolf is the creator of over the fire cooking and in his book, he teaches connoisseurs to master fire-cooking techniques. Whether you are the weekend backyard grill master, using a campfire, or a firepit, and no matter your level of skill Food X Fire will elevate the quality of the cooking, enhance your technique, and boost your confidence.

Covering specific styles, Food X Food covers five chapters and begins with an introduction to the art of open flame cooking in Chapter 1, "Getting Started: Respecting the Flame."

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Any chef, in any discipline, will explain the necessity of having the proper tools to complete the task. This chapter explains not only the tools, which will stand against the heat of the fire, (no plastic spatulas), Derek Wolf also explains the fire; the wood, the coals, the flames and how it effects the cooking process.

For some, high heat cooking may be something they utilize everyday, open flame is a different technique. Once the basics are covered, he introduces in Chapter's 2 and 3, "Direct Fire Cooking" (page 45) and "Indirect Fire Cooking" (page 97).

For each he presents information and recipes, a helpful guide to many questions for homeschooled home chef's such as how to spatchcock a chicken, (page 55), with a delicious recipe for "Spatchcock Brick-Pressed Lemon Chili Chicken" (page 52-53).

Each of the chapters are divided into sections "Grilling, "Skillet," and "Coals." We begin to see from our introduction of necessary tools, that the cast-iron skillet is a staple for Derek Wolf, and through a simple, yet very effective explanation, we understand why.

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He explains to the neophyte open flame chef, that cracking an egg on an open grill will result with a breakfast of ashy seasoned scrambled eggs. Not very appetizing. No one would attempt to fry or cook scrambled eggs on a direct grill, hence the cast iron skillet. Through this section we understand the concept of combining outdoor cooking with indoor tools. A cast iron skillet is a necessity for indoor or outdoor cooking.

"Indirect Fire Cooking" introduces the process of "Hanging and Leaning," 'Skewers," and "Barbecue." Each of these elements feature recipes like "Leaning Salmon Plank with Lemon-Dill Sauce" and devotes four pages to the steps involved in preparing, nailing (yes, the recipe does call for food nails), seasoning, cooking creating a leaning plank to smoke the large Salmon steak.

He also devotes four pages to "Hanging Chicken," explaining how to truss a chicken which is crucial to keeping the bird intact while cooking, he also explains the art of cooking "Whole Lamb Al Asador," including the prep, the beer basting brine, the seasoning, and the six-hour cook time, which is completed through the leaning technique.

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For most who have enjoyed "Brazilian Picanha," the idea of seeing meat, of any kind on skewers is common. What Derek Wolf does is augment our imagination from backyard skewers to swords which hold these large pieces during an extended cook.

He also introduces many recipes using seafood, including "Fire-Baked Lobster Tails," "Salt-baked Red Snapper," and "Chili-Lime Shrimp."

Filled with eye-catching glossy images across the 207 pages, Derek Wolf, also provides recipes in Chapter 4 (page 153) for ten favorite vegetable recipes and in Chapter 5 (page 177) for eleven "Sauces, Marinades, And Rubs," which include "Classic Chimichurri," "Spicy Cilantro Chimichurri," "Chipotle Rub" and "Maple Bourbon Glaze."

Food X Fire, Grilling and BBQ with Derek Wolf, is the perfect addition to any homeschool home chef's library. With interesting easy-to-follow and complete recipes, any grill master, part-time, full-time or weekend warrior, will be tempted with the idea of the challenge of the flame.

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His step-by-step instructions from the type of wood to use, which certain woods enhance and provide flavor, much like red wine to meat, white wine to seafood, or how to use coal chimneys, and coal cooking directly on the meat, understanding the right temperature needed to create crispy bark, succulent, fall off the bone, delicious dining in the backyard or at the camp fire.

Food X Fire, Grilling and BBQ with Derek Wolf is a must have!

Title: Food X FIRE Grilling and BBQ with Derek Wolf.

Author: Derek Wolf.

Publisher: Harvard Common Press.

Image/Photography: Jack Sorokin Photography.

Cover Design: Tanya Jacobson.

Interior Design and Page Layout: Allison Meierding.

Length: 207 pages, Hardcover.

ISBN: 978-1-59233-975-4.

MSRP: $30.00 (U.S.), $39.00 (CAN), £22.00 (UK).